Incompetent, Abusive, or both? - Scottish Executive policy and legislation on Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - `Autism Rights` Briefing Paper April 2007

IDENTITY REGISTER /DATABASE



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5342718.stm

- last Updated: Wednesday, 13 September 2006, 17:43 GMT 18:43 UK

Wider use of private data planned

Full details of the government plans will not be known until next April. Sensitive personal information would be passed between Whitehall departments under new government plans.

The move would help to tackle ID fraud and would also identify those "in need", the Department of Constitutional Affairs (DCA) has claimed. It promised "appropriate safeguards" to ensure some details remained private. But the Conservatives said the idea was an "excuse for bureaucrats to snoop", while pressure group NO2ID described it as an "abolition of privacy ".

The key phrase is `would also identity those "in need"`.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1862230,00.html

- Child database attacked over celebrity exclusions


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionidA10XCXH5ME04DQ46IQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?xml/news/2006/06/26/ndata26.xml&sSheet /news/2006 /06/26/ixuknews.html

- Family life faces State 'invasion' By Sarah Womack, Social Affairs Correspondent (Filed: 26/06/2006)


http://www.databasemasterclass.blogspot.com/

- ARCH website about politics of the family


http://www.childrenoversurveilled.lse.ac.uk/default.htm

The government is introducing radical changes in childrens services aimed at improving early identification and intervention with children thought to be at risk of failing to reach their potential the policy set out in their 2003 discussion paper: Every Child Matters. They place a particular emphasis on identifying children who might become delinquent or achieve poorly at school. As part of this policy, several databases are being set up which will contain extensive personal information about children and their families These databases are intended to help professionals share information amongst themselves and judge whether or not a child is showing any cause for concern

requiring professional help. The amount of data collected will radically alter the privacy of family life and many concerns have been raised about the potential harmful effects of such large-scale surveillance.

Aims of the Conference

To clarify the distinction between child protection and the new policy of

safeguarding children'.

To detail the range of databases being established and the quality of data

being collected.

To examine the evidence for government policy.

To raise concerns that the degree of surveillance being introduced could have

harmful effects.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR FROM NO2ID ABOUT THE CHILDREN ACT INDEX

Sir - It is good that the Children Act "index", designed to link up all information in official records about every child in the country, is getting exposure. Many do not appreciate that ID cards are only a pretext for a national identity register, designed to link up all information in official records

about every adult in the country. The goal is cradle-to-grave surveillance, which can be a tool for cradle-to-grave control. The database state is a threat to human freedom.

Guy Herbert, General Secretary, NO2ID, London W1


http://society.guardian.co.uk/children/story/0,,2023156,00.html

 -  Our children have less protection now than did Victoria Climbié  For five years, the system to prevent child abuse has been vanishing before our eyes, says Liz Davies   Wednesday February 28, 2007 The Guardian

EXCERPT - Also there was no child-protection conference in place for Victoria, and her name was not on the child-protection register. This tried and tested multi-agency tool is now being abolished on Lord Laming's recommendation; this will severely affect the lives of vulnerable children. ContactPoint, the new database for every child in the country, is in effect a

population-surveillance tool. It has nothing to do with protecting children: databases and other computerised processes will not replace the function of the register. The number of referrals to social services has been steady for five years, but the number of children on the child-protection register for physical and sexual abuse has halved. The system has been vanishing before our eyes.

Laming also recommended that the police should focus on crime. As a result, social workers are increasingly left to investigate much child abuse on their own, constricted by tight timescales, targets and data entry - which undermines the value of professional judgment and leaves little time to form meaningful relationships with children and families.Victoria, a victim of child abuse, needed a multi-agency response. Since her death the protective systems have been drastically reduced and many obstacles have been put in the path of those trying to implement them. If Lisa were employed today her chances of getting it right would be even less than in 2000.

· Liz Davies is a senior lecturer in social work at London Metropolitan

University e.davies@londonmet.ac.uk


http://www.arch-ed.org/issues/databases/IS Index.htm

- The Children's Information Sharing (IS) Index

http://archrights.wordpress.com/2007/02/17/is-index-re-brand/

The facility formerly known as the children's Information Sharing Index has a new name. From now on, it will be known as `ContactPoint`. It also has its very own logo that says: `ContactPoint, because every child matters`. Otherwise, it's exactly the same thing. Quite why it needs a brand image isn't clear, given that `ContactPoint` is for the use of practitioners who will know exactly what it's for. Presumably the re-brand is to reassure the public by taking out the words `information sharing`, and making it all sound more like a helpdesk than an identity register.



Where the USA leads ......

http://www.counterpunch.org/pringle06132005.html

- scroll down to `Teen Screen` article

http://www.counterpunch.org/pringle06062005.html



The UK's very own version of `Teen Screen` - trawling for vulnerability in school children. Very good article – and excellent example of medicalising/ pathologising normal behaviour

http://society.guardian.co.uk/children/story/0,,2021878,00.html

 -  All in the mind  Vast numbers of experts are attending to the psychological wellbeing of

students. But there's no proof they're doing the slightest good, writes Kathryn Ecclestone   Tuesday February 27, 2007 The Guardian

EXCERPT - More intrusive

More intrusive activities are also emerging. Requirements for welfare and education professionals to work together to identify children "at risk" led to the class of a friend's nine-year-old son being asked to write about "five people I like and five people I'm scared of". The teacher used these accounts to identify concerns for discussions with social workers. It is an uphill battle to challenge the ethical implications of such assessments, or to question the effectiveness of the interventions they lead to. Emotional vulnerability has become fashionable. ......These trends create a circular logic of suggestibility. Some psychologists argue that no one is immune from debilitating feelings of emotional "un-wellbeing" and that we all have "esteem issues". This cultural mantra is now so prevalent that denials of depression or low self-esteem lead to a diagnosis of repressed feelings and lack of emotional intelligence. There is no robust, independent evidence that making children and young people express their feelings in formal rituals at school will develop lifelong emotional literacy and wellbeing. Inserting a vocabulary of emotional vulnerability into education is likely to encourage the very feelings of depression and hopelessness it is supposed to deal with.

Although ideas about wellbeing seem benign, they are based on judgmental assumptions about "appropriate" feelings and how to deal with them. Requiring children to take part in activities for emotional wellbeing encourages everyone to feel in need of professional support. As with other evangelical bandwagons in education, it is difficult to challenge the deluge of worthy aims and self-righteous assertions about emotional literacy, and to criticise the dubious activities they encourage. But it is not a sign of emotional denial or "esteem issues" to try to start such a debate.

· Kathryn Ecclestone is professor of education at Oxford Brookes University.

Her book, The Dangerous Rise of Therapeutic Education, with Dennis Hayes, is published later this year by RoutledgeFalmer. Email your views to education.letters@guardian.co.uk


The legislation and policy below will effectively create a national database in Scotland on each and every child - it stresses again and again that there should be a record for every child

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/06/20135608/56144

- getting it right for every child: Proposals For Action

Section 3: Integrated Assessment Planning and Recording Framework ( IAF)

EXCERPT

The Whole Child: Physical, social, educational, emotional, spiritual and psychological development The framework builds on the work done by the Department of Health, Department for Education and Skills and Home Office (2000) and sets it within the Scottish context 1. It takes account of the

important principles set out in the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 with particular focus on the requirement to listen to and take account of the views of children and young people, and to working in partnership with parents.


http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Young-People/children-families/17834/10300


http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/07/25112327/23294#2

- Getting it right for every child: Proposals for Action: Section 3

EXCERPT

Family and social relationships

For some children it may be necessary to record the following: Interactions between family members, evidence of attachment; positive engagements and guidance; disagreements, family hostilities, violence and so on Significant reports or expressions of concern from other people such as family members, members of the public, neighbours or other agencies, such as the

police, voluntary organisations

EXCERPT - examples both of pie in the sky and intrusion into confidential health information

Being healthy

This includes full information about all aspects of a child's health and development, relevant to age and stage. Developmental milestones, major illnesses, hospital admissions, any impairments, disabilities, conditions affecting development and health. Health care, including nutrition, exercise,

physical and mental health issues, sexual health, substance abuse. Information routinely collected by health services will connect with this.


Learning and achieving

This includes cognitive development from birth, learning achievements and the skills and interests which can be nurtured. Additional support needs. Achievements in leisure, hobbies, sport. Who takes account of the unique abilities and needs of this child? Learning plans and other educational

records will connect here.


Being able to communicate

This includes development of language and communication. Being in touch with others. Ability to express thoughts, feelings and needs. What is the child's/young person's preferred language or method of communication. Are there particular people with whom the child communicates? Are aids to communication required?


`ability to express thoughts, feelings and needs` - even the relevant professionals are completely incompetent when it comes to identifying this!! All of this must be seen in conjunction with widespread ignorance of ASD and denial of services. For a classic example of how this legislation and policy will pan out in real life, read the case of Debbie Storey and family – see Numbered Reference no. 24, or go to top of page 8 of Topic References.

http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/jointinspectionbill

- Joint Inspection of Children's Services and Inspection of Social Work Services (Scotland) Bill

Written submission to the Scottish Parliament Education Committee, November 2005 The BMA voices its concerns about the powers vested in these joint inspection teams to access children's medical records, thus violating patient/ doctor confidentiality


http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/DataStandardsAndeCare/MSPAddresstoeCareConf

- eCare Conference 2005 - Robert Brown MSP Keynote Address - 26 September 2005

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/05/11150808/1

- eCare Framework v1.0 Release

The eCare Framework is the name given to a cohesive set of technology standards, architectures, infrastructure and software that enables multi-agency information sharing within the public sector in Scotland. The eCare Framework provides public sector agencies, and their technology partners, with a single strategic approach to secure electronic data sharing in Scotland.


http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/DataStandardsAndeCare/News

- links to conference documents on E-Care and to recent Exec. documents on this - crucial update, which confirm the move to databases - information sharing being central to the Exec's `thinking` over some time. See `Conference Presentations`, especially Robert Brown's Keynote Address.


links to Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Bill

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/bills/73-ProtVulGro/b73s2-introd.pdf

- Bill as introduced

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/bills/73-ProtVulGro/b73s2-introd-pm.pdf

- Policy Memorandum for Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Bill

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/bills/73-ProtVulGro/b73s2-introd-dpm.pdf

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/bills/73-ProtVulGro/index.htm - Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Bill – Part 3


`Interesting` how these changes are initially promoted:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/5104432.stm

- New child protection law planned Information sharing on vulnerable children will be improved

The Scottish Executive is to shelve reforms to the justice system to make way for a new law to protect vulnerable children. The proposed legislation, forcing public bodies to share information, will go before Holyrood in September. A planned reform of children's hearings is to be postponed until later in the year to make way for the bill. The reform of the appointment system for judges will also be put off to allow for more consultation.


http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/64765.html

- Scotland's flagship children's reporter system is close to collapse after almost 55,000 young people were referred to it last year, an all-time record. Only 11% of children referred to the reporters by police and other public protection agencies end up in front of a panel, raising questions about

whether they should have been brought to the reporters' attention in the first place.


  http://www.guardian.co.uk/britain/article/0,,1284086,00.html

-   UK 'sleepwalking into Stasi state'    Jenny Booth Monday August 16, 2004 The Guardian

Richard Thomas, the information commissioner, has warned that Britain could be sleepwalking into an East German-style surveillance society, holding extensive but secret files on all citizens. Mr Thomas said the government was planning three population databases that would make more personal information quickly available to more officials, yet citizens would not be able to find out what the government knew about them. The projects, he said, were the home secretary's identity card scheme, the citizens' information project (a population register proposed by the Office for National Statistics), and a planned database of every child in the country from birth to the age of 18.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6108496.stm?ls

- Last Updated: Thursday, 2 November 2006, 15:40 GMT Britain is 'surveillance society'

Fears that the UK would "sleep-walk into a surveillance society" have become a reality, the government's information commissioner has said.


An example of how easy it is for petty officials to access data for nefarious purposes -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/5404276.stm

 -  A pair of tax workers made fake claims for disabled children who did not exist as part of a £250,000 embezzlement scam, a court has heard.  Nasir Ahmed, 39, and Imran Ayub, 25, admitted using their jobs at the Inland Revenue in West Lothian to get genuine information about families.


An alternative to a medical database:-

To Know Their Family Health Histories By Acting Surgeon General

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=56868&nfid=nl










© Fiona Sinclair, Wednesday 4th April 2007